Beatrice Vasey
    Free garden tool

    Yorkshire and the Humber frost date finder

    Enter your postcode to see when the last spring frost and first autumn frost usually fall where you garden in North, West, South and East Yorkshire and northern Lincolnshire, worked out from 30 years of Met Office records for your square kilometre. Use it to decide when to sow, when it's safe to plant out, and when to bring tender plants in.

    Last frost dates across Yorkshire and the Humber

    Frost dates change a lot over short distances. The typical last frost in Hawes is 66 days later than in Scarborough, so a planting date that suits Scarborough can lose plants in Hawes.

    Map of Yorkshire and the Humber shaded by typical last spring frost date for each square kilometre.
    Leeds
    Sheffield
    York
    Hull
    Hawes
    Whitby
    Northallerton

    Typical last spring frost

    • By 31 March
    • 1 to 15 April
    • 16 to 30 April
    • 1 to 15 May
    • After 15 May
    • Outside Yorkshire and the Humber
    Each square is 1 km. Hover over the map to see the dates for any square. Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright. Region boundaries: Office for National Statistics, Open Government Licence; contains OS data © Crown copyright and database right 2023.
    TownTypical last frostSafe to plant outTypical first autumn frostFrost-free days
    Scarborough3 March16 April8 December280
    Sheffield23 March17 April22 November244
    Grimsby29 March21 April21 November237
    Bridlington1 April22 April18 November231
    Hull1 April28 April17 November230
    Leeds6 April20 April10 November218
    Doncaster10 April28 April10 November214
    Scunthorpe10 April6 May10 November214
    Huddersfield11 April28 April17 November220
    Wakefield11 April6 May14 November217
    York16 April4 May7 November205
    Rotherham16 April6 May6 November204
    Barnsley16 April8 May10 November208
    Bradford17 April6 May5 November202
    Settle17 April7 May1 November198
    Whitby17 April11 May13 November210
    Goole17 April7 May4 November201
    Halifax17 April8 May5 November202
    Skipton21 April11 May1 November194
    Malton22 April13 May4 November196
    Northallerton25 April11 May31 October189
    Pickering25 April13 May28 October186
    Beverley26 April14 May6 November194
    Harrogate30 April18 May28 October181
    Richmond5 May20 May21 October169
    Hawes8 May24 May18 October163

    Figures for the square kilometre at each town centre, 1991 to 2020. Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright.

    How to use your frost dates

    Hardy seeds outsideSow broad beans, peas, carrots and other hardy crops from around your typical last frost date, once the soil has warmed.
    Tender plants indoorsStart tomatoes, peppers and squash indoors six to eight weeks before your safe-to-plant-out date.
    Hardening offPut young plants out during the day for a week or two before your safe date, and bring them in at night.
    Planting outPlant tender crops and bedding after your safe date, and keep fleece handy for a late cold snap.
    AutumnLift dahlias, bring in tender pots and pick the last tomatoes before your 1-in-10 early frost date.

    Not sure what will cope with your frost dates? I'm a horticulturist trained at the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and I draw planting plans for gardens anywhere in the UK, choosing plants for your soil, your light and the frosts you get.

    Frost dates in other regions

    RegionEarliest last frostLatest last frost
    North East22 March in Whitley Bay21 May in Kielder
    North West17 March in Liverpool17 May in Alston
    Yorkshire and the Humber3 March in Scarborough8 May in Hawes
    East Midlands24 March in Skegness25 April in Buxton
    West Midlands10 April in Coventry25 April in Ludlow
    East of England11 March in Cromer4 May in Thetford
    London1 March in Westminster14 April in Orpington
    South East22 February in Margate5 May in Dorking
    South West23 February in Newquay19 April in Cirencester

    Frost date questions

    When is it safe to plant out in Yorkshire and the Humber?

    It depends on where you are. In Scarborough, tender plants are usually safe from 16 April, but in Hawes you need to wait until 24 May. Put your postcode into the finder above and use the "safe to plant out" date, which only 1 year in 10 beats.

    Why are these dates different from the ones on seed packets?

    Seed packets and national charts give one date for the whole country, but frost dates can differ by weeks between the coast, towns, valleys and higher ground. These dates come from frost records for your own square kilometre.

    What's the difference between an air frost and a ground frost?

    An air frost is when the air at 1.5 m drops below 0°C, which is what these dates measure. A ground frost forms on grass and soil, and on clear, still nights it can happen when the air is still a degree or two above freezing. Low-growing seedlings feel ground frosts first, so give them an extra week or two of protection.

    Where does the data come from?

    The dates are worked out from the Met Office's HadUK-Grid daily minimum temperatures on a 1 km grid for 1991 to 2020, the standard 30-year climate period. For every square kilometre, we found the last night below freezing each spring and the first each autumn, then took the typical date and the 1-in-10 late date across the 30 years. We checked the results against the Met Office's own weather station records.

    Does the finder work outside Yorkshire and the Humber?

    Yes. It works for any postcode in England, and the frost map of England compares every region.

    Can I use these figures in an article, newsletter or allotment notice?

    Yes. Please credit Beatrice Vasey and link to this page, and include "Contains Met Office data © Crown copyright" for the underlying records.

    Sources (6)